Wednesday, April 18, 2007

OK, this will seem like a lazy, shameless plug for Lee Iacocca's new book.

It only seem's that way because I'm linking to the Border's Book site selling his book, and posting a verbatim excerpt from his book designed to make people want to buy his book, and posting a really flattering picture of him.

Instead of posting this picture

with the high waisted old-man pants and possible piss-dribble on the leg.

So, I know this looks bad.

But The Truth is, I haven't read the book, I won't buy the book, I don't give a fuck if anyone else reads or buys the book, and even though I hate wrap music, I'd have more fun hanging with Snoop Dog than I would with "I-ka-zizzle".

I am temporarily handing over my blog to Mr. Iacocca for 3 reasons:

1. Copying and pasting someone else's well thought out and well written work is easier and quicker than conducting my own careful analysis and crafting a creative, thoughtful and insightful post that eloquently conveys my conclusions and seeks to sway the emotions and opinions of my readers.2. I absolutely, whole heartedly agree with every fucking word he says.3. I'm gonna use the time I saved to grill me up a cheeseburger and watch some high-def Tee Vee.

God Bless America!

*****

Had Enough?

Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course."

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.

My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to—as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us.

Who Are These Guys, Anyway?

Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them—or at least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a dictatorship, not a democracy.

And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of factions. We're a people. We share common principles and ideals. And we rise and fall together.

Where are the voices of leaders who can inspire us to action and make us stand taller? What happened to the strong and resolute party of Lincoln? What happened to the courageous, populist party of FDR and Truman? There was a time in this country when the voices of great leaders lifted us up and made us want to do better. Where have all the leaders gone?

The Test of a Leader

I've never been Commander in Chief, but I've been a CEO. I understand a few things about leadership at the top. I've figured out nine points—not ten (I don't want people accusing me of thinking I'm Moses). I call them the "Nine Cs of Leadership." They're not fancy or complicated. Just clear, obvious qualities that every true leader should have. We should look at how the current administration stacks up. Like it or not, this crew is going to be around until January 2009. Maybe we can learn something before we go to the polls in 2008. Then let's be sure we use the leadership test to screen the candidates who say they want to run the country. It's up to us to choose wisely.

So, here's my C list:

A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the "Yes, sir" crowd in his inner circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world is a big, complicated place. George W. Bush brags about never reading a newspaper. "I just scan the headlines," he says. Am I hearing this right? He's the President of the United States and he never reads a newspaper? Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter." Bush disagrees. As long as he gets his daily hour in the gym, with Fox News piped through the sound system, he's ready to go.

If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care. Before the 2006 election, George Bush made a big point of saying he didn't listen to the polls. Yeah, that's what they all say when the polls stink. But maybe he should have listened, because 70 percent of the people were saying he was on the wrong track. It took a "thumping" on election day to wake him up, but even then you got the feeling he wasn't listening so much as he was calculating how to do a better job of convincing everyone he was right.

A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something different. You know, think outside the box. George Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him is spinning out of control. God forbid someone should accuse him of flip-flopping. There's a disturbingly messianic fervor to his certainty. Senator Joe Biden recalled a conversation he had with Bush a few months after our troops marched into Baghdad. Joe was in the Oval Office outlining his concerns to the President—the explosive mix of Shiite and Sunni, the disbanded Iraqi army, the problems securing the oil fields. "The President was serene," Joe recalled. "He told me he was sure that we were on the right course and that all would be well. 'Mr. President,' I finally said, 'how can you be so sure when you don't yet know all the facts?'" Bush then reached over and put a steadying hand on Joe's shoulder. "My instincts," he said. "My instincts." Joe was flabbergasted. He told Bush, "Mr. President, your instincts aren't good enough." Joe Biden sure didn't think the matter was settled. And, as we all know now, it wasn't.

Leadership is all about managing change—whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt. Maybe Bush was absent the day they covered that at Harvard Business School.

A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Nobody in the current administration seems to know how to talk straight anymore. Instead, they spend most of their time trying to convince us that things are not really as bad as they seem. I don't know if it's denial or dishonesty, but it can start to drive you crazy after a while. Communication has to start with telling the truth, even when it's painful. The war in Iraq has been, among other things, a grand failure of communication. Bush is like the boy who didn't cry wolf when the wolf was at the door. After years of being told that all is well, even as the casualties and chaos mount, we've stopped listening to him.

A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power." George Bush has a lot of power. What does it say about his character? Bush has shown a willingness to take bold action on the world stage because he has the power, but he shows little regard for the grievous consequences. He has sent our troops (not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens) to their deaths—for what? To build our oil reserves? To avenge his daddy because Saddam Hussein once tried to have him killed? To show his daddy he's tougher? The motivations behind the war in Iraq are questionable, and the execution of the war has been a disaster. A man of character does not ask a single soldier to die for a failed policy.

A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. George Bush comes from a blue-blooded Connecticut family, but he likes to talk like a cowboy. You know, My gun is bigger than your gun. Courage in the twenty-first century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk.

If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. Bush can't even make a public appearance unless the audience has been handpicked and sanitized. He did a series of so-called town hall meetings last year, in auditoriums packed with his most devoted fans. The questions were all softballs.

To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION—a fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done. How do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President—four hundred and counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer that the high point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound perch in his hand-stocked lake.

It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now, that's not leadership.

A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential. Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through the roof.

A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent? Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters. A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face as a nation seem to be on the back burner.

You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel. Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites. You know—Mr.they'll-welcome-us-as-liberators-no-child-left-behind-heck-of-a-job-Brownie-mission-accomplished Bush.

Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home. I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world—and I like it here."

I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while.

The Biggest C is Crisis

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can see it for yourself. Then, instead of taking the quickest route back to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day—and he told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op at Ground Zero.

That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road to Iraq—a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father. He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will.

A Hell of a Mess

So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, competence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "the Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen—and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bobblehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises—the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the horseshit and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough.

I ain't here to tickle your balls bub. Your fatal level of BDS is a joy to behold. I hope you're choking on it.

If you don't think President Bush has conviction, you're worse off than I thought. And he didn't continue to sit in front of the class for "twenty" minutes. WTF was suppossed to do? Jump up like his hair was on fire? The man can't win.

And please tell me how our constitution is being hijacked? Got the Gitmo blues? They are emeny soldiers, captured in civilian clothes. In past wars that would have got them an immediate bullet.

Feel sorry for Jose Padilla? The man who was going to open natural gas lines in apartment buildings and ignite them? Oh wait, I know, you think G-men are sneaking into libraries and reading what books you and I are checking out. Lord man, get off the MoveOn reading list and open your mind.

Wait a sec, you're not a 9/11 truther, are you?

You creeps love to perpetuate the lie that President Bush doesn't read when in fact he is a voracious reader. I don't bother with newspapers much myself and I'm well informed. Are you trying to say that the President of the United States needs to read the bullshit and lies that the NYT prints? Give me a break.

You think what the NYT is doing isn't treasonous? Leaks from State not the same?

You creepy libs are a hoot. You like Harry Reid declaring "the war is lost" Betcha a dollar the terrorists broke out the hot tea to celebrate that one. Pelosi going to Syria? Soon Iran? But they won't meet with the President???

Fact is bub, you and your ilk's self rightous hatred of President Bush and this administration is going to cost far more lives down the road. And you know what bub? Some how in your twisted, sick minds it's going to be conservative's fault.

I could go on and on about liberal positions. And how you are ALWAYS(that's 100% of the time bub) wrong, and never, never, never, ever cop to it. But why bother.

"If you don't think President Bush has conviction, you're worse off than I thought."

Oh, he has conviction all right. Problem is his conviction isn't based on any actual FACTS. It's based on "faith" that he's doing the right thing because God told him to Go And Spread Democracy In The Middle East. What a fucktard.

"And please tell me how our constitution is being hijacked?"

It would be easier and quicker to point out the few unscathed parts of the Constitution.

I have no intention of spending my entire Friday night trying to change your mind and open your eyes to the truth, but I have time to pick off some low hanging fruit.

Article 1.

Section 1

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of theUnited States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

But every time Dubya signs a bill, he includes a "signing statement" (something NOT sanctioned by the Constitution) that basically says "This is all well and good, but I will decide if and when to enforce this law. Because I'm The Decider." He is clearly attempting to usurp the power of Congress.

Section 9......The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless whenin Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it....For those of you not versed in Latin, "In common law, habeas corpus (/'heɪbiəs 'kɔɹpəs/) is the name of a legal action or writ by means of which detainees can seek relief from unlawful imprisonment. The writ of habeas corpus has historically been an important instrument for the safeguarding of individual freedom against arbitrary state action."

Can you say Gitmo? Can you say Extreme Rendition? Can you say Patriot Act?

Amendment 4The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, andeffects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, andno Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath oraffirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and thepersons or things to be seized.

Illegal, warrant less wiretaps against American citizens via the subversion and abuse of The Patriot Act. Dubya's clearly not an enthusiastic preserver, protector, of defender of this particular part of the Constitution.

Amendment 5No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arisingin the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in timeof War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offenseto be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in anycriminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life,liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property betaken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment 6In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy andpublic trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crimeshall have been committed, which district shall have been previouslyascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of theaccusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsoryprocess for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance ofCounsel for his defense.

"Got the Gitmo blues? They are enemy soldiers, captured in civilian clothes."

Really? And just how the fuck would you know that? Because Your President says so? There are no public documents that tell us who is being held, why they are being held, under what circumstances were they captured, what they are charged with or what evidence we have to substantiate any of the above.

So Dubya clearly holds Articles 5 and 6 in complete and utter contempt.

"You creeps love to perpetuate the lie that President Bush doesn't read when in fact he is a voracious reader."

ROFLMAO!!! Really?

Name 10 books he has read. Prove it. What is he reading right now?

Typical Fox News bullshit. Throw something out as if it's a fact and hope it sticks.

Think he'll read George Tenet's book when it comes out? Think he's read any of Tom Friedman's books?

The whole purpose of reading, or any other form of information gathering is to expose yourself to things you didn't know. It helps you validate whether or not what you thought was true, really is true.

If the only information you allow in is information that reinforces what you already believe, you become increasingly isolated from reality.

"You think what the NYT is doing isn't treasonous?"

No, I don't. I think it is the absolute essence of patriotism to try to accurately inform the citizenry of ACTUAL FACTS when it is being lied to by it's own government.

"Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it." --Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 1786.

"I am... for freedom of the press, and against all violations of the Constitution to silence by force and not by reason the complaints or criticisms, just or unjust, of our citizens against the conduct of their agents." --Thomas Jefferson to Elbridge Gerry, 1799.

"Pelosi going to Syria? Soon Iran? But they won't meet with the President???"

Idiot.

They would meet with the President in a heart beat. It is the President who forbids anyone in his administration from talking to them.

He thinks that just having a conversation with the United States is some great privilege that should be bought through a priori concessions.

You don't make peace by talking to your allies. You make peace by talking to your enemies.

The fact that Dubya can't grasp this most elemental of all foreign policy concepts is why we are in the mess we are in right now.

He has NO FUCKING CLUE how to deal with other countries and he refuses to listen to those that do.

There is a difference between Leadership and Bullying.

Leadership is a skill and an art. It requires intelligence, finesse, and charisma. A successful Leader is able convince you that they are on the right path and that you not only should, but actually want to follow them.

A Bully says "You're either with me or against me! Follow my lead or I'll kick your ass back into the Stone Age!"

One approach inspires love and loyalty. The other inspires animosity and betrayal.

"Some how in your twisted, sick minds it's going to be conservative's fault."

Umm, for what exactly? For invading an impotent, contained, sanctioned country that had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with 9/11 or WMD, and providing a recruiment tool and training ground for people who hated us already to hate us even more and get even better at killing us? Is that what you are afraid we will blame you for?

Fuckin' A, Bubba.

I would love to draft a bill that would send every single one of you (not you personally - don't know you - because you choose to be anonymous - talking Generic You) right-wing, Bible-thumping, tobacco-chewing, Nascar-loving, rifle-toting, Bush-loving, War-Mongering assholes right into the streets of Bagdad with nothing but your precious deer-hunting camo and horded weapons.

You want to defend the Constitution and your right to bear arms? Get off your lazy asses and go do it.